Category: Political science : Political Science

Select and review a recent scholarly journal article related to trends and/or the relationship between media and politics- and policy-related public opinion. Include in your review a discussion of how the work relates to this week’s required readings—e.g. how its methodology and findings compare to other works, what its primary contributions are relative to other works. Please use quotations sparingly; your review should summarize and paraphrase from the original work, employing limited quotations.
• The article’s title and purpose
• The author(s) of the article and a brief summary of his/her/their qualifications
• The article’s hypothesis/research question(s), theoretical assumptions, and research methodology
• A summary and careful evaluation of the article’s findings and conclusions
• The place and contribution of the article within the larger body of literature on the topic (e.g. how it relates to course readings Hopkins chapters 8 & 9 The increasingly United States )

Select and review a recent scholarly journal article related to trends and/or the relationship between media and politics- and policy-related public opinion. Include in your review a discussion of how the work relates to this week’s required readings—e.g. how its methodology and findings compare to other works, what its primary contributions are relative to other works. Please use quotations sparingly; your review should summarize and paraphrase from the original work, employing limited quotations.
• The article’s title and purpose
• The author(s) of the article and a brief summary of his/her/their qualifications
• The article’s hypothesis/research question(s), theoretical assumptions, and research methodology
• A summary and careful evaluation of the article’s findings and conclusions
• The place and contribution of the article within the larger body of literature on the topic (e.g. how it relates to course readings Hopkins chapters 8 & 9 The increasingly United States )

Tolstoy wrote, “All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” Focusing on the Syrian, Lebanese, and Yemeni cases, identify the factors that seem to cause, or be associated with, civil wars.  What common patterns can be seen in these cases?  And, are there certain factors that appear in one or two of the cases but not in the other(s)?  BS, GE, and document your use of source materials.

Tolstoy wrote, “All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” Focusing on the Syrian, Lebanese, and Yemeni cases, identify the factors that seem to cause, or be associated with, civil wars.  What common patterns can be seen in these cases?  And, are there certain factors that appear in one or two of the cases but not in the other(s)?  BS, GE, and document your use of source materials.

Your response should be detailed and should address all of the questions posed for the specified section. Unlike the reflection post assignments in this course (in which you were asked to reflect on material covered in class), this exam will be graded stringently based on how well you addressed and answered each question. Every question can and should be answered using information presented via class PowerPoints (PowerPoints correspond with each section). Outside sources of material is not needed when constructing your response.
Redistricting and Gerrymandering
1) Explain the process that leads to states redistricting. How often do states redistrict? How does Congress determine which states will gain/lose House seats as part of this process? How does redistricting differ from gerrymandering?
2) Explain what gerrymandering is. What are the types of gerrymandering discussed in class? What are the major criticisms of gerrymandering? Describe the legal restrictions on drawing districts put in place to limit the negative effects of gerrymandering.
Incumbency & Age/Term Limits
1) How does gerrymandering relate to incumbency? Does gerrymandering lead to incumbency, does incumbency lead to more gerrymandering, or do they share a circular relationship with one another (explain).
2) What is the “revolving door”? How is this phenomenon exacerbated by age/term limits?
Gridlock
1) Fully explain the causes and consequences of gridlock, detailing each to the best of your ability.
2) What is the Gridlock Dilemma? What are the two ways provided in the PowerPoint for solving the Dilemma?